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Christian ultra-fundamentalism (CUF)

A term used by psychologist and educator
Robert J. Marzano (1993/1994) to describe the worldview of certain American
Christians. CUF considers the Bible a sacred text and considers stories such
as Noah and his ark to be literally
true. CUF is well-known in America for its views that homosexuality and
abortion, among many other things having to do with sex or reproduction, are sins (forbidden by the god of Abraham [AG]). The CUF folks
and their sympathizers have a very
well-organized political network, including
schools,
television networks, and
radio
stations for getting the message out to the masses and lawmakers.
The movement has had some success in affecting legislation that restricts
abortions, protects fetuses, and limits scientific research involving stem cells or human embryos.
They have also had some success in getting elected to
local school boards
where they can influence
textbooks and
curricula
(Simonds 1983; Forrest and Gross 2003). Of course, many people
with secular worldviews also own schools, TV networks, and radio stations,
and try to influence legislation. In fact, many people with secular
worldviews might agree with some of the moral and legal positions of CUF,
but they may be reluctant to speak out for fear of being associated with
other, more radical, beliefs of CUF.

CUF shares in common with ultra-fundamentalist
Jews, Muslims, and Hindus the establishment of theocracy as the ultimate
goal. One of the key features of Christian ultra-fundamentalism is
that all other worldviews are seen as enemies to be extinguished or at least
stopped from spreading (Marzano 1993/1994). There is no secular
worldview that holds a similar position, with the possible exception of
extreme communism. But other ultra-fundamentalist religious movements also
seek the annihilation of opposing worldviews. Some of these groups, such as
Islamic ultra-fundamentalists, seek to physically extinguish those of other religions or
cultures, or even members of their own religion who are deemed not orthodox
enough.* With the exception of a few terrorists who have attacked or murdered
people for their abortion-related activities, CUF seems to advocate
non-violent tactics. However, were a group of CUFs ever to hold political
power in America, they undoubtedly would be just as intolerant as Islam has
been toward democracy, liberty, human rights, pluralism, and all those
values held precious by freedom-loving people.*

The CUF worldview is
also characterized by the belief that America was
established as a Christian nation (Gabler and Gabler 1985) with a global
mission of evangelization (Saperstein 1990) and that liberal intellectuals
have misled America into thinking that there should be a separation of
Church and State (Kennedy 1987). (Never mind that most of the founding fathers were not Christians and that Jefferson prevailed in getting the U.S.
Constitution to reflect Virginia's refusal to recognize any religion as the
state's religion.) According to this view, liberal theologians
have undermined the authority of the Bible, while liberal scientists and
academics have advanced the anti-Biblical theory of evolution. Liberals are
referred to as secular humanists and are described as "aggressive and
evangelistic [and] adept at tearing down traditional faith, even if it
means permitting the occult to enter the classroom" (Gabler and Gabler
1985). In some CUF literature, liberals and secular humanists are also known as
New Agers and are thought to be engaged in a systematic effort to introduce
not only atheism, materialism, and
evolution into American culture, but also
such evils as acupuncture, biofeedback, environmentalism,
holistic medicine,
hypnosis, the kabbala,
Transcendental Meditation, and
vegetarianism (Marzano
1993/1994). Most CUF literature, however, clearly distinguishes liberals
from New Agers.

Two of the most vocal advocates of CUF are evangelists Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson.
Their response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on American
targets reveals some of the essential beliefs attached to this worldview.
They claimed that "liberal civil liberties groups, feminists, homosexuals
and abortion rights supporters bear partial responsibility...because their
actions have turned AG's anger against America."*
According to Falwell, AG allowed "the enemies of America...to give us
probably what we deserve." Robertson agreed. The American Civil Liberties
Union has "got to take a lot of blame for this," said Falwell, and Robertson
agreed. Federal courts bear part of the blame, too, said Falwell, because
they've been "throwing God [sic] out of the public square." Also "abortionists
have got to bear some burden for this because God [sic] will not be mocked," said
Falwell. Robertson agreed. [Click
here to hear the
full conversation in mp3 format.]

According to CUF, liberals have conspired to introduce relativistic ethics,
toleration of diverse religious views, freedom of thought, and such anti-Christian notions as the
importance of self-esteem (Marzano 1993/1994; Marrs 1987, 1990; Robertson
1989, 1990). In short, according to CUF, liberalism is orchestrated by
Satan
and will lead to the Antichrist (Marrs
1987; Robertson 1989). Of course, this prophecy may be as inaccurate as all
the others regarding the end of the world.*

One of the more vocal CUFs is James Dobson,
founder of Focus on the Family, a group devoted to spreading the word on the
evils of such things as sexual equality, homosexuality, abortion, and
liberal judges. Dobson calls a judge liberal if he or she won't use
the personal values of the CUFs as a guide in making decisions. Dobson criticizes judges for making decisions according to their own personal
values whenever they rule according to their understanding of the law and
the Constitution but against Dobson's personal values. This is a very effective smokescreen among CUFs. At a
televised revival meeting held in
Louisville, Kentucky, at the Highview Baptist Church on April 24, 2005,
Dobson told viewers that the justices on the United States Supreme Court are
"imperious and determined to redesign the culture according to their
own biases." The justices are the architects of the "biggest holocaust in
world history." They are "out of control," he said, and they "need to be
reined in." "For 43 years [since the court found organized prayer in public
schools unconstitutional], the Supreme Court has been on a campaign to limit
religious freedom and religious liberty," he said. In other words, an
independent judiciary is as anathema to CUF as religious tolerance. Under the guise of defending both
America and Christianity, Dobson and his crew want to subvert the
Constitution while claiming that those who are upholding it are the ones who
are subverting it--a clever trick, if you can get away with it. The Framers
created a Bill of Rights and an independent judiciary to prevent sects such
as the CUFs from imposing their personal values on the rest of us.

Tony Perkins
is another vocal CUF. He is the
president of the Family Research Council,
another anti-Constitutional group claiming to be defending "the family,
faith, and freedom." What Perkins wants for America is the same thing Dobson
desires: a Christian theocracy created in their image of Christianity as CUF.